Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Waechter.
Bianca, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am from Vienna, Austria, where I also grew up. In 8th Grade, I switched from a catholic, former all-boys school to the American High School in Vienna, where I felt much freer. After High School, I worked in Peru on a social project called Sinfonia por el Peru, founded by the opera singer Juan Diego Flórez. It was my first time really away from home, and I discovered the whole new parts of myself. After Peru, I went straight to New York to study Acting. New York marks a turning point in my life because it is where I had to grow up, figure out what I want to do with my life, and become independent. One of my first interactions in New York was with a drag queen at a dinner theater, who, in response to me saying, “I’m from Austria,” replied, “I literally have no idea what that is.” It was freeing to surrounded by people that were so different from anyone I have ever interacted with. I had the best and the worst of times in this wonderfully chaotic city. Mainly I started to figure out what kind of Art I want to make and what people I want to be surrounded by. Now I am working back in Austria and moving to Berlin soon.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have had many many obstacles in my path so far, but the biggest one is myself. As actors, we have to develop a strong sense of self, so we are not crippled by rejection. The voice in my head telling me I am not good enough is my biggest enemy so far.
Please tell us about your work.
I strive to create art that matters. By matters, I don’t necessarily mean that I think Art has to have a political message, or any message even. But it matters that a piece of one’s soul is exposed in Art. Seeing someone reveal their soul on stage is what inspires. I want to be a part of important stories and open up my instrument, soul and body so the story can shine through me. My favorite theater experience so far was when I got to play Mukthar Mai in a staged play reading at Teatro della Pergola in Florence, Italy. She is a woman who has been gang raped in Pakistan. The stories we told were so powerful I did not have to add anything to them as an actor. I merely had to be the vessel. It is an exhilarating feeling to be a part of a powerful story.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I learned to become self sufficient and trust in myself as a human being and artist. As actors we face a lot of rejection, so the most important thing is to not let yourself be defined by rejection. I developed an audition routine that helped me. Before each audition I prepare. I do my warm up, go through my pieces and breathe. At the audition my only goal is to be fully present. And after the audition I jot down notes about the audition because I believe every actor can learn from auditioning. Then I draw a line, close my notebook and don’t think about the audition anymore. I make sure to have made a plan of something to do after my audition so it feels like my day is going on. The audition is just a piece of my day, not something that will define my future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bianca-waechter.com
- Email: biancawaechteractress@gmail.com
- Instagram: biancawae
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biancawaechteractress/
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